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Caption

Bone. Longitudinal section through a tibia, or shinbone. The walls of the bone are composed of compact, or cortical, bone. Cortical bone, which contains the bone's blood and lymph vessels and its nerves, is made up of concentric layers of a collagen-containing matrix. The interior is composed of spongy, or cancellous, bone. Cancellous bone is characterised by a honeycomb arrangement, comprising a network of trabeculae (mesh-like rods). These structures provide support and strength to the bone. The spaces within the tissue contain bone marrow, a blood forming substance.